Celebrity Lady - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Chapter 22
“Victor? Sir Victor?”
“Brother?”
At Victor’s sudden appearance, Cedric and Lilia jumped in alarm.
He studied them both with a piercing gaze for a long moment before extending his hand to me.
“Can you get up?”
“Oh, um…”
I reached for his hand but stopped short, wincing as though the pain were still sharp, biting my lip.
Of course, it was all an act. The fall hadn’t hurt me that badly.
Victor’s jaw tightened, and without warning, he bent down.
“Oh, brother?”
He slipped his arms beneath my waist and behind my knees, scooping me up in one smooth motion.
Watching him lift my not-insignificant weight without the slightest strain reminded me just how naturally gifted he was.
Still holding me, Victor turned and fixed Cedric and Lilia with a glare that could cut glass.
“Are you out of your minds? What exactly were you doing? Pushing someone down the Staircase?”
“Sir Victor, it’s a misunderstanding. Lubet fell on her own—I didn’t push her.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“If you won’t believe it…”
Cedric pushed his hair back, frustration etched across his face, then narrowed his eyes with obvious displeasure.
“Sir Victor, I understand you’re angry, but shouldn’t you maintain some decorum? We’re not exactly children clinging to each other anymore.”
“If it bothers you, feel free to complain.”
“I…”
Cedric stared in disbelief before pressing his lips together.
Victor had a quick temper and no restraint when he was angry—the type of person it was simply exhausting to argue with.
“Victor, brother. It really was an accident. Lubet tripped.”
Lilia rushed past Cedric, her pretty face twisted in tears as she clung to Victor’s arm.
In an instant, Victor’s expression darkened sharply, and he twisted away. Lilia’s eyes went wide with shock.
“Whether it was an accident or not, I didn’t like the way he was talking to Lubet either. And you—you weren’t even thinking of helping her up.”
“I—I was just about to—”
Unable to gauge how much Victor had heard, Lilia turned pale and trembled.
Victor stared down at her coldly before turning his gaze back to Cedric, eyes blazing.
“Apologize.”
“I didn’t push her, so why should I apologize?”
“Brother.”
This was the moment to step in. I wrapped my arms around Victor’s neck and made my expression as pitiful as possible.
“I was careless and tripped on my own. Please, don’t fight…”
“…”
I said it, but Victor wouldn’t believe me. He’d clearly heard the mockery in Cedric and Lilia’s voices as I fell.
Cedric, stung by the way Victor had cornered him, stamped down the rest of the Staircase in a fury.
“You heard her. She says she tripped by herself.”
“You—”
Victor bristled at Cedric’s retreating form, but I tightened my grip around his neck to hold him back.
“…”
Left alone, Lilia’s face remained ashen.
Cedric had the status to be defiant and rarely crossed paths with Victor, but Lilia?
As a member of the Diolus Family, she knew she needed to stay in the good graces of both her brothers.
“Lubet, I’m sorry. I should have checked on you right away, but I was so startled that I just…”
Yes, I’d known she’d try to smooth things over like this.
I immediately sniffled and hit back.
“No, Lilia. You probably couldn’t bear to look at me. I understand. I won’t get in your way anymore—please, just don’t hate me…”
I pouted slightly and watched as Lilia’s mouth fell open. She hadn’t expected this kind of counterattack.
‘How does it feel to be on the receiving end of your own tricks?’
I fought hard to keep from laughing as Victor stepped past Lilia and headed toward the Staircase.
He was about to leave, but Lilia frantically grabbed his sleeve.
“Brother, wait! Hear me out—”
“Let go.”
Victor turned, his face hardening sharply, and Lilia flinched.
“I’m disappointed in you.”
“…”
Victor ground his teeth and continued up the Staircase.
The look on Lilia’s face as she stood alone was quite a sight to behold.
* * *
After carrying me to my bed, Victor sat down in a chair with an irritated expression.
“I’ll call the physician. Let’s have you checked over.”
“No, brother. There’s no need. I’m fine now. I didn’t fall from that high.”
“Still…”
“Really, I’m all right. If anything feels wrong, I’ll tell you then.”
Victor hesitated reluctantly, then sighed and dragged a chair over, sitting down.
“Have you been listening to that bastard Cedric talk to you like that this whole time?”
“Oh, no. He’s just joking around.”
I smiled bitterly, and Victor thumped his own chest in exasperation.
“Joking? Did that feel like a joke to you?”
“Don’t be angry, brother.”
“How can I not be angry? Haven’t I told you a hundred times that I don’t like him? How long are you going to follow him around like some lovesick puppy?”
“I don’t anymore.”
“You don’t— Argh! And Lilia, what about her—”
Victor clenched his teeth and trembled with agitation, running his hands through his hair in frustration.
‘Perfect.’
This incident would definitely put Lilia on Victor’s bad side. I had to suppress the smile tugging at my lips and feign disappointment.
Watching my expression, Victor finally calmed himself and opened the bag slung over his shoulder.
“Here. I picked something up for you. You like this, don’t you?”
“Wow.”
The elegant packaging was instantly recognizable—chocolates from a famous dessert shop in Jedo.
‘My absolute favorite. The person who looks least like he’d be thoughtful is actually quite considerate.’
Since opening my eyes as Lubet, this might have been the first time I’d ever been cared for by family in this way…
It was more moving than I’d expected. My eyes stung slightly.
“Thank you, brother. But actually, I’m on a diet these days—I’m not eating desserts…”
“What?”
“I’m trying to lose weight. Lately I’ve been running ten laps a day around the Outer Vacant Lot near Serban Street. There!”
I said it proudly, but Victor paused, his expression darkening.
“Why the sudden weight loss? Don’t tell me it’s because of that bastard Cedric—”
“Ugh, no. Really, no. I’m not following Cedric around anymore. This is just for my health.”
I waved my hand dismissively, but Victor’s eyes narrowed with clear disbelief.
“Then give it here. I’ll buy you something else. What do you want?”
“No!”
I stopped Victor’s hand as he reached for the chocolate box and cradled it protectively.
“I do need to lose weight, but this is something you bought because you were thinking of me, so I want to eat it. Surely I can manage one piece a day, right?”
“…”
Victor watched me stick my tongue out playfully before turning away with a murmur.
“…Fine, then.”
“Hehe. Thanks, brother. But I didn’t know you were coming today. You didn’t even call. I was just wishing I could see you, so this is perfect.”
“Ah.”
Victor scratched his cheek, and his eyes darted around nervously.
“Um… The truth is, I came because there’s something I wanted to ask you? Or request? Yes, something like that.”
“Something for me?”
“Well, about you and the Crown Prince—”
That was when it happened.
Bang-bang-bang—!
Creak.
While I waited for Victor to continue, came the sound of someone pounding on the door.
Three sharp knocks that shook the very panels, and then the door swung open without permission—no courtesy, no restraint.
‘Biego?’
The unexpected visitor standing behind Victor was someone I hadn’t anticipated: Biego.
“…Brother?”
Victor spun around, froze in confusion, then slowly got to his feet.
“What is it, brother? Why are you barging into a grown woman’s room without permission?”
Biego’s face was flushed with anger. I watched his expression carefully and quickly rose to stand behind Victor.
“You two.”
His voice was ice-cold, cutting through the air like a knife.
‘Why is he so angry?’
There was no one more terrifying than Biego when he was furious. Both Victor and I flinched simultaneously.
While he was endlessly indulgent with his twins, he was ruthlessly strict with Victor and me, so our reaction was half-learned behavior.
‘What did we do wrong?’
I racked my brain, but nothing came to mind. Victor had only just arrived…
“I’ve told you repeatedly. Lilia and Riki are as good as our siblings, so treat them as you would younger sisters and brothers.”
“I…”
Could it be…?
“Brother, I don’t understand what you mean—”
Just as I was starting to piece it together…
“Sniff.”
As I’d suspected. From behind Biego, Lilia peeked out, clutching his sleeve with tears streaming down her face.
At the sound of her sniffling, Biego’s handsome features twisted into something fierce.
“You made her cry?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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